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Is Your Website Accessible to Individuals with Disabilities?

Posted on July 30, 2018 by

Many are unaware that the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to websites as well as physical facilities. A review of court dockets around the country shows that plaintiffs are filing an increasing number of lawsuits against companies alleging that their websites are not “accessible” to individuals with disabilities as required by the ADA. In […]

Attendance at Work May Not Be An Essential Function of a Job

Posted on July 25, 2018 by

There have been a lot of court cases over the years that have acknowledged that attendance at work is a critical (and logical) essential function of someone’s job.  A recent decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has raised a caution about this conclusion.  In its decision, the Court of Appeals reversed a summary […]

Employee Use of Company E-mail May be Protected from Company View

Posted on July 25, 2018 by

Companies have always taken the position that an employee’s use of company e-mail is not private, and can be accessed and reviewed by the company at any time.  There have been a large number of court cases, which have held that a company that has issued a policy, stating that private use of company e-mail […]

Will Parents’ Long-Term Care Costs Sink the Farm?

Posted on July 11, 2018 by

Problems can result when parents maintain ownership of a farm but need long-term health-care services from an assisted-living facility or nursing home. Expenses associated with long-term care can jeopardize a farm business if not properly managed ahead of time. There’s a common situation attorneys encounter when helping farm families with farm legal matters. Although parents […]

Non-Economic Damage Limitation Upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Posted on July 11, 2018 by

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued a ruling in the case of Mayo v. Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund.  The Supreme Court’s decision, which was handed down on June 27, 2018, overturned a lower court decision that found the non-economic damage cap to be unconstitutional.  The 5-2 decision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court […]

Qualifying for Favorable Lending Terms in a Financially Stressed Market

Posted on July 3, 2018 by

Uncertainties in agricultural markets continue to impact lenders’ financing decisions as well as loan terms and conditions. But there are ways to qualify for favorable lending terms even in a time of financial stress and challenging markets. A prospective borrower should review farm-operation goals and how to achieve those goals as well as credit needs. […]

Recent Decisions Support Requirements for Working Extra Hours

Posted on July 2, 2018 by

Several recent federal court decisions have reaffirmed the right of an employer to require an employee to work extra hours or rotating hours of work as a part of the normal duties of a position provided there is legitimate reason for such requirement.  In two cases, the federal courts have acknowledged that overtime can be […]

Yes, Employees Can Be Required to Behave Civilly and Reasonably

Posted on June 21, 2018 by

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is continuing to expand on its newfound flexibility toward employee handbook rules.  The NLRB’s General Counsel, Peter Robb, recently issued a memo defining in greater detail which types of handbook rules are acceptable and which will merit greater scrutiny.  Significantly, the memo instructs NLRB regional offices that ambiguities in […]

Can an ACO Violate the Antitrust Laws?

Posted on June 21, 2018 by

This may not be obvious to people who do not keep track of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)/Department of Justice antitrust enforcement policy, but an enforcement action has never been published involving an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) that participates in Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) or another federal health care program.  The reason for the […]

DOJ Focuses Antitrust Enforcement on Health Care Industry

Posted on June 5, 2018 by

As health care attorneys we are often called upon to consider the antitrust implications in a variety of contracts and transactions.  For example, the establishment of clinically integrated health care networks requires consideration of potential price fixing and exclusionary issues.  The antitrust laws require elements of financial and clinical integration in order to mitigate potential […]